PASTA PRIMAVERA (SPRINGTIME PASTA) – Recipe by Piero Benigni – The freshness and taste of this dish really conquers all. It can be enjoyed all year round and is prepared quickly while the pasta is cooking, just long enough to sear the chopped vegetables for a few minutes. In the summer it is exceptional if eaten cold.
The quantities and varieties of vegetables are only indicative and you can let your imagination run wild, based on what is available in your fridge or from the greengrocer. Moreover, you can use the type of pasta you like, for example spaghetti, linguine, penne or homemade tagliatelle.
Ingredients for 4 persons
- 300 gpasta (about 10 1/2 oz)
- 60 gcourgette (2 oz – zucchini in USA)
- 60 gcarrot (2 oz)
- 60 gcelery (2 oz)
- 120 gpepper (4 oz)
- 90 gfennel (3 oz)
- 150 gtomato (5 oz)
- 120 gonion (4 oz)
- 5 leavesbasil
- 2 leavessage
- q.s.parsley
- 1 clovegarlic
- 3 spoonsolive oil
- q.s.chili pepper
Tools for Pasta Primavera
- Pot for boiling pasta
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Pan
- Wooden fork
- Scale
Recipe by Piero Benigni
Cut the vegetables into thin strips, but leave the tomato ones a little larger and cut the fennel in very thin ones, otherwise they will remain raw. Finely chop a little sage, the basil leaves and a tuft of fennel leaves. Put the pasta in the pot where water is boiling. Chop the garlic and put it in the pan to fry over low heat with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. If you like, add some chilli.
After some minutes add all the vegetables to the pan, raise the heat, add some salt and stir almost continuously until you see that the vegetables are slightly wilted. It will take 4 or 5 minutes and you will notice that their volume has greatly reduced if compared to the initial one.
Drain the pasta very “al dente” and add it into the pan, but save the water in the pot. Stir and sauté the pasta and finish cooking with the help a few tablespoons of cooking water until it is at the right point, than serve immediately.
Cut the vegetables into thin strips, but leave the tomato ones a little larger and cut the fennel in very thin ones, otherwise they will remain raw. Finely chop a little sage, the basil leaves and a tuft of fennel leaves. Put the pasta in the pot where water is boiling. Chop the garlic and put it in the pan to fry over low heat with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. If you like, add some chilli.
After some minutes add all the vegetables to the pan, raise the heat, add some salt and stir almost continuously until you see that the vegetables are slightly wilted. It will take 4 or 5 minutes and you will notice that their volume has greatly reduced if compared to the initial one.
Drain the pasta very “al dente” and add it into the pan, but save the water in the pot. Stir and sauté the pasta and finish cooking with the help a few tablespoons of cooking water until it is at the right point, than serve immediately.
The raw ingredients cut in strips
Everything’s ready for the pasta